Chapter Text
Colet practically lived in the library. It's always quiet in there, a place most students would only frequent once exam seasons start. It would be her in her little corner and the books just the way she likes it.
But then the school had decided on renovations. It's one of the places that was picked, something about finally replacing that old airconditioning unit and fixing the broke. tiles by the sci-fi section. Colet's favorite place had been unfortunately declared off limits.
Colet then found solitude under a lonesome tree by the far east gardens instead. It's the easiest to access these days, far enough so she knew no normal student would come around. But she should have known a change in her routine would bode a ripple of changes into her ordinary life as well.
A change in her routine marked the day when she met the very famous Maraiah Arceta.
-
Colet had been minding her own business when the girl approached her. With a bright smile on her face, Maraiah Arceta extended her hand in introduction.
"Hello! I'm Aiah," she had said with friendly cheer.
Colet's attention on her book is momentarily broken. She looked at the hand outstreched in front of her and traced it back to the girl with a pretty face. She didn't really react much other than to go back to her reading.
This wasn't the first time anyone's bothered her, though they usually left after being ignored once. Sometimes, with a condescending comment too.
People usually left her alone. Perks of having a reputation, mostly. The untouchable lone wolf, they all say. She didn't ask for it but it's not so bad once she'd gotten used to it. She didn't need other people.
Except Maraiah Arceta isn't like other people, a fact the friendly ball of energy would prove over and over for as long as they meet.
Colet sensed someone sit right across from her. She peeked from the pages of her book and watched as Maraiah Arceta put on earphones before scrolling through her phone. Looks like she's staying.
They sat in relative silence for a while, a soft humming escaping Maraiah Arceta's otherwise quiet countenance somehow harmonizing with the soft occasional flipping of pages. It almost felt natural.
Colet didn't know how long she had been reading until she noticed the sun starting to set. She took a peek at her quiet companion and saw her curled up on herself, fast asleep.
It's already a little dark, so Colet placed a bookmark between the pages. She was about to wake up the other girl but then hesitates. They didn't exactly know each other, after all.
Then again, it wouldn't be proper to just leave her here like this.
She took one last glance and made up her mind.
Later, Maraiah Arceta would wake up draped with a warm hoodie and the mesmerizing smell of fresh field flowers. Alone.
-
It's been a couple of days since then. Maraiah Arceta found Colet in the library with her nose yet again deeply buried in a book. Maraiah Arceta tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention only for Colet to yelp out expletives in surprise.
"Sorry," Maraiah Arceta grimaced. "I didn't mean to scare you."
Colet only fixed her with a stern glare before going back to her reading. Maraiah Arceta, somehow unfazed, doesn't leave. She rummaged through her backpack until she found what she's looking for.
"This is yours, right?" she said, holding up the hoodie right next to her.
"You haven't left yet?" Colet didn't even spare her a glance.
Maraiah Arceta, tough and proving to be just as stubborn, still wasn't discouraged.
"This is your hoodie, right?" she asked again.
Right. Colet froze for a quarter of a second before slowly shifting her eyes towards the girl standing next to her.
"I just wanted to say thank you for lending me this," Maraiah Arceta told her. "So, thank you."
The girl's smile shook with uncertainty when Colet didn't say anything but she managed to hold her ground. It would be a lie to say Colet's entire countenance didn't affect her at the very least.
Fortunately, Colet soon reached out to take the hoodie back. She nodded her head for what passes as a small bow of thanks.
"Okay," she said softly.
For some unfathomable reason, Maraiah Arceta took it as a word of welcome. Her lips lift in a stupidly bright smile before plopping on the seat next to Colet's.
"I've said this yesterday but I guess you were a little busy so you probably didn't hear me but I'm Aiah," she said almost in one breath.
This is definitely new, Colet thought. She's not exactly well versed at handling anything new.
Maraiah Arceta's entire disposition screamed happy and friendly like the sun somehow shone out of her smile. It's unnerving.
Thankfully, the librarian shushed them before Colet's long stretch of not answering turned too awkward. Maraiah Arceta gave the old woman a shy apology, one which the usually strict nightmare of a lady accepted with only a raised brow. No yelling. The girl then turned back to get herself settled, pulling out study materials from her bag and placing them neatly on the table.
Colet didn't undestand why she herself does not bother telling Maraiah Arceta to leave.
-
Maraiah Arceta followed her around after that. No matter where Colet is, the girl somehow always managed to pop out with her stupid cute grin and her stupid little dimple and her stupid pretty face.
It's annoying.
There's too many students in the library today doing final revisions so Colet's reading in the gardens again. Maraiah Arceta came over with a bounce and sat next to her. Close enough that they don't look like strangers but also far enough to respect her boundaries. There's a crunching sound of paper, then the smell of pastries fill the air.
"Want some?"
This has been happening a lot, too. Maraiah Arceta would sit next to her, offer her whatever food she's brought that day, and then just sits quietly and eat them herself when Colet doesn't respond. No matter how many times Colet pointedly ignored Maraiah Arceta, the girl still insisted on befriending her.
"Do you like donuts?" Maraiah Arceta asked.
So that's what the sweet smell is.
Maraiah Arceta proceeded to bite into her food when Colet barely spared her a glance.
Like clockwork, Maraiah Arceta plugged in her earphones and relaxed next to Colet quietly, letting the girl read in relative peace.
It's strange, Colet thought. Maraiah Arceta is pretty popular in their school. Even a recluse like Colet knew about her: student council, art club officer, and apparently a force to be reckoned with in the world of pageantry. She even excelled academically. She has a lot of friends and a lot of fans.
It's strange why someone like her would keep following someone like Colet so persistently.
"Don't you have anything better to do?" Colet mumbled.
Maraiah Arceta removed one of her buds. "You said something?"
"Why are you here?" Colet said louder this time.
She didn't mean for her words to sound clipped but Colet wasn't exactly used to talking to people. Maraiah Arceta didn't seem to mind, though.
"I don't know. I just am," the girl cheekily responded.
Colet eyed her warily. "You are so strange."
Maraiah Arceta gave her a goofy smile. There's a smidge of donut powder on the corner of her mouth. How childish. Colet had to tell herself not to stare.
"Thanks," Maraiah Arceta said, "You're not so normal yourself."
Colet didn't dignify that with a response. At least not verbally. She shook her head, as if to get rid of the image of the girl beside her.
-
Colet reacted to Maraiah more after that day. In her delight for this new development, Maraiah came up with the most interesting topics she could think of just to keep Colet's attention. She won't admit to making a list if you asked her but she does have a folder of it in her phone.
They still sit together in silence most days. Comfortably this time.
They're at the gardens again one afternoon, Colet with her book and Maraiah with her phone and several candies, when the latter started her questions.
"Hey Colet," Maraiah began.
"I don't think I ever told you my name," the girl responded straightforwardly, lips quirking minutely letting Maraiah know she's only teasing.
Maraiah rolled her eyes but the fond smile on her face gave her away. "You're not exactly unknown, you know. A lot of people know who you are."
At that, Colet shook her head. "People know about who they think I am. That doesn't mean they know me."
There's a pause, then Maraiah snorted, an undignified sound coming from such an ethereal face.
"Wise ass."
"Eloquent today, aren't we Ms. Arceta?"
"Wow, big word," Maraiah teased. "Big readers sure are smart, huh."
"Coming from an honor student like you? I should be so flattered," drawled Colet, still in her mask of not caring.
Maraiah delighted in their banter, laughing heartily at Colet's response. Colet gave her a small smile. To Maraiah, it felt like victory.
Colet's reading a different book today, Maraiah noticed. It's another thick one with hard covers. The elegant writing on the spine was a little faded.
"You really love your books, don't you?"
Colet bit her lip and looked back down at the pages. She nodded her head gently.
"I like reading books because it's easy. The hero always finds a way," she told Maraiah. "Slay the dragon, save the princess, live happily ever after."
It's not something that Maraiah had expected to hear from the quiet girl. She expected something like Philosophy or those autobiographies with fancy old quotes that transverses generations. Fantasy, though? Colet didn't look the type. Then again, she really shouldn't be stereotyping people.
"But there's as much tragic endings as there are happy ones, aren't there?" she asked instead. She's surprised, but she's not going to judge.
Colet leveled her with a stare. "What's your point?"
Maraiah shrugged, peeled a lollipop and handed it to Colet. "I don't have any." Colet took the lollipop wordlessly and popped it into her mouth.
-
Colet learned more about Aiah as the days go by. It turns out, they speak the same language too. Aiah is a Bisaya from Cebu. Colet herself is a Bisaya from Bohol. There's a certain feeling of kinship on that fact that makes Colet feel a little more comfortable around the other girl. Occasionally, a few Bisaya words would be thrown in between conversations and Colet doesn't remember the last time she's allowed herself to talk this much at all.
-
It rained on a Thursday. Colet stood by the entrance as the students poured out of the school building with umbrellas in tired hands. Others had their bags covering their heads as they ran under the unforgiving torrent. She tightly gripped at the straps of her bag as she looked on at the downpour.
Her house is only twenty minutes by walk but it would be impossible to get there unscathed in this weather. She decided to wait it out but the library's already closed at this hour. The garden is obviously not a good choice either.
"Piskit," she mumbled to herself.
Colet decided to go back inside and walked around to pass the time. Most of the students were having their after school activities indoors so a lot of them were scattered in the hallway. It's suffocating.
Turning a corner, Colet navigated through the school jungle until she reached barely populated corners. Still, she kept walking.
The phone in her pocket vibrated. It's a message from Maraiah. Not surprising since she's the only one who texts her anyway. Colet even barely remembers she has a phone most days.
Colet! Did you go home na? 😬
They had exchanged numbers a few days ago when Maraiah relentlessly pestered her about how friends normally contact each other on phones nowadays.
Colet, of course, raised her eyebrows at the term 'friends' but Maraiah saw through her anyway.
Still at school, Colet responds.
Maraiah's reply came almost as soon as Colet sent her text.
Let's go home together! I brought my car 😊
Colet contemplated through the offer and failed to notice the glass door on her way, promptly bumping her head. Embarrassed, Colet rubbed at the sore spot and subtly looked around.
She's alone.
Colet releases a sigh of relief. Then, frowning, she hits the glass door with her palm in revenge.
"Dead end diay. Badtrip."
At least there's no one here, Colet thought. The rooms on this part of the building are mostly used for storage after all. Nobody really goes here. Perfect.
She pulled up a new book, one that Maraiah had recommended she read, and looked for a corner she can curl up on.
The pitter patter of the rain lulls Colet into concentration. She's well into the story, an English classic that Colet was reluctant to peruse, when Maraiah sends her another text.
Why aren't you replying? 😭 It says, immediately followed by You're reading again, aren't you 😪
Now, Colet wasn't really partial to the use of emoticons. She wasn't even one to text at all. Maraiah, however, was an avid texter and a constant pain in Colet's butt. She'd get all sad and whiny when Colet doesn't respond to her right away. It's weird.
Yes
Colet replied then thought better of it and sent a smiley face too. She put her phone facedown on the floor and went back to reading.
There's a clang then the sound of hurried footsteps on the hallway. Colet could make out the sound of a pair of younger girls, probably freshmen, harshly whispering to each other.
Whatever's going on couldn't be good, Colet thought. Best not to be involved. With the book in hand, Colet picked up her bag and made to leave through the closest exit.
The rain hasn't let up entirely but it has dwindled significantly.
It's still a little bright outside, even with the clouds looming over the horizon. Bright enough for Colet to see the wide unused field with temporary fences. The school's old so there's always something being renovated or constructed.
Out in the distance stood the old school building, the only surviving extension of the original school years ago. It's an old relic that looks like a house. Rumor has it, as all rumors go, that the ghost of a female student haunts the place.
Colet snorted at the thought.
She's tempted to go to that place, check if her things are still there, but it's getting late. She really should start heading home before the gates close.
Turning on her heels, Colet made her way back through empty hallways and goes home.